William a



(No Model.)

PISTON ROD PACKING. No. 338,700. Patented Man 30, 1886.

n. vrmu mwumogm, Wahimun, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

YVILLIAlVI A. P. BICKNELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO DAUPHIN S. HINES, WILLIAM A. PERRY, AND GHARLES O. VVORTHINGTON, OF

SAME PLACE.

PISTON-ROD PACKING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,700, dated March 30, 1886.

Application filed July 31, 1885. Serial No. 173,140.

ing piston or plunger rods, and for other similar purposes, by which the friction due to the passage of the rod through the packing is reduced and the movement of the rod made more easy.

There are many casesas, for example, in compound enginesin which it is necessary or desirable that the same rod should be connected to the pistons or plungers of two or more cylinders which are arranged end to end and in comparatively close proximity. In such cases it is of course necessary that the rod should pass through the adjacent ends or heads of the cylinders, and it is of course nec- I essary that the cylinder-heads should be provided with suitable stuffing-boxes for forming tight joints around the rod.

\Vhen stufling-boxes of the ordinary construction, in which the packing material is pressed directly around the rod, are employed for this purpose, the friction between the rod and the two packings is of course considerable, and it requires the expenditure of considerable power to overcome it.

It is the object of the present invention to as nearly as possible overcome this difficulty and to provide a means by which a tight joint can be formed around the rod in the two adjacent cylinder-heads with as little friction as is occasioned by the passage of the rod through a single stuffing-box of the ordinary construction.

As a full understanding of the invention can be best imparted by a detailed description of the manner in which it is applied, such description will now be given, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which shows a horizontal section of the two cylinders of a compound engine, the adjacent ends or heads of the two cylinders being provided (No model.) Patented in England December 2-3, 1585, No. 15,771.

with packing devices constructed according to the present invention.

Referring to said drawing, it is to be understood that A B are the two cylinders of an ordinary compound engine, their two pistons, O D, being attached to the same rod E, which passes through the adjacent ends or heads a b of the two cylinders in the usual manner. The adjacent heads a b of the two cylinders are, as is frequently the case, placed a short distance from each other, and when thus located it has heretofore been customary to provide each head with an ordinary stuffing-box which surrounded the rod E and the packing within, which served to form a tight joint around the rod. This caused the rod to pass through two packings, which were pressed tightly around it, and which, as a consequence, created considerable friction.

In order to reduce the friction occasioned by the pressure of the two packings upon the rod E, 1 provide the rod with a sleeve, 9, which extends from one to the other of the two ordinary stuffing-boxcs, 7 8, upon the heads a I) of the cylinders, one end of the sleeve being arranged to extend through one of the stutlingboxes, (the box 7 of the cylinder A, as shown in the present case,) while the other en d simply enters the other of the stullingboxes to form the follower for pressing the packing 5, contained in that box, around the rod E. The sleeve 9 is provided with a flange, 2, by which the sleeve can be bolted to the flange of the stuffing-box 8, so as to compress the packing 5 in the usual manner, and with a follower, 4, which can be bolted to the flange of the stuffing-box 7, so as to compress the packing 6, contained in that box, around the sleeve in the same manner.

\Vith the packing device thus constructed the operation of packing the rod E is as follows: The follower 4 having been backed out of the box 7 and the sleeve 9 out of the box 8, the packing 5 can readily be inserted around the rod E and the packing 6 around the sleeve 9. By then forcing the end of the sleeve 9 into the box 8 and the follower 4 into box 7 the packing 5 will be compressed so as to form a tight joint around the rod, and the packing 6 will be compressed so as to form a tight joint around the sleeve. It will be seen that by this means either of the cylinders, and that this is done by bringing only one packing (the packing 5) into contact with the rod, thus relieving the rod of the friction of one packing. llhe sleeve 9 will fit around the rod E so loosely as to create very little friction, and will preferably be provided upon its inside with a series of groo\ es or channels, as 1, in which water will collect so as to still further reduce the friction and the wear upon the rod and sleeve. The sleeve may be made to fit so loosely in the boxes 7 8 that it will move slightly to accommodate itself to any slight springing of the rod E, and thus prevent the rod from being cut or worn. It is also to be understood that b and the rod E, of the stuffing-boxes 7 8,

sleeve 9, and follower 4, the box 8 being provided with a packing which is compressed around the rod by the sleeve, and the box 7 with a packing which is compressed around the sleeve by the follower, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

W. A. P. BICKNELL.

Witnesses:

J. A. HooEY, JAS. J. KENNEDY.

It is hereby certified that in-Letters Patent No. 338,700, granted March 3' upon the application of William A. P. Bicknell for an improvement in Pisi Packing, the name of Dauphin S. Hines improperly appears as one of the assign grantees, Whereas the said Hines having died prior to the issue of the patent, ters testamentary having been granted upon his estate, the grant should have 1 Maria L. Hines exeeutrix, and Cyrus 0. Hines, executor of the estate of Dan Hines, deceased, instead; and that the Letters Patent should be read with these tions therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Pateni Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 13th day of April, A. D. 1886.

H L. MULDROW Acting Secretary of the l [SEAL] Counter signed:

M. V. MONTGOMERY,

Commissioner of Patents. 

